Perhaps he had simply been drunk and allowed his mood to carry him away. However, despite the considerable volume of alcohol he'd consumed, Alexio hadn't felt particularly intoxicated. Regardless, given that the outing was now inevitable, the reasoning behind it seemed irrelevant.
Everyone in the kingdom was eagerly awaiting a chance to glimpse the ducal couple. If they made an unscheduled public appearance precisely when anticipation had reached its peak, it would instantly become the number one topic of conversation throughout society.
_And publicity always yields profit._
While Alexio was rationalizing his impulsive decision, a commotion erupted near the estate's entrance—apparently signaling the arrival of today's main attraction.
The Duke snapped his pocket watch shut, returned it to his waistcoat, and straightened his posture. Preparing to receive his wife, the man turned toward the main entrance and caught sight of Adelina whispering urgently to her maid.
In a word, Adelina was **magnificent**.
There wasn't a single detail about her appearance that didn't align precisely with Alexio's taste. Perhaps it was because she wore one of the gowns he had personally selected? Yet her beauty seemed so flawless that this explanation felt insufficient. The dress fit as though it had been tailored specifically for her frame. The lightweight fabric flowed with liquid grace, and with every gust of wind, the hem fluttered delicately—creating the illusion of butterfly wings taking flight. The color evoked a clear summer sky, while the dark blue bow and sash cinching her waist created a pleasing contrast that further accentuated Adelina's fair complexion.
"Alexio." The girl, who had been conferring with Sophie, finally noticed the Duke and offered him a bright smile. The man could sense clearly that his wife was genuinely excited about their upcoming excursion.
The Duchess approached her husband quickly, and he greeted her with an answering smile.
"You chose this particular dress."
"It was Sophie's recommendation."
"Sky blue suits you remarkably well. If you removed just a little pigment from your eyes, they would be precisely this shade."
"Ah... Yes, I suppose so." Adelina responded with faint awkwardness to the compliment and surveyed his outfit in turn. "You look very handsome as well. You're not wearing black today... as you typically do."
As she'd noted, the Duke was not dressed in his customary dark attire. He released a heavy sigh and shook his head ruefully.
"Simeon insisted I abandon black for an occasion like this. He threatened to physically prevent me from leaving unless I wore something else."
"Really? I happen to like black."
"Do you?" Alexio tilted his head in surprise. People usually gossiped about his eccentric preferences, considering his fondness for the color a morbid affectation—associating it with mourning and death. "I didn't realize you favored that shade, since you rarely wear it yourself."
"According to prescribed protocol, members of the royal family may wear black only when in mourning."
"So it turns out royals don't even possess freedom in selecting their own clothing?"
"That's entirely accurate—and it's exhausting. But I still adore black, because it's the **brightest** color."
"The most... bright?" A note of genuine intrigue entered Alexio's voice. "I've never heard such an opinion expressed before."
"Really? It seemed perfectly logical to me, since there exists no color more clear and defined than black."
"Well, it's certainly... self-sufficient." After all, any other hue could be eclipsed entirely by black. "I'll definitely remember my wife's preferences and wear black on our next outing. I'll inform Simeon as well."
Alexio pronounced the word "date" with complete ease.
Although Sophie had insisted they were undoubtedly embarking on a date, Adelina had harbored doubts until this very moment. But now—as the Duke opened the passenger door for her with courteous attention—there was simply no room for uncertainty.
Noticing his wife's slight nervousness, Alexio gestured for her to be seated. The girl raised her eyebrows questioningly.
"Where will you sit?"
"In the driver's seat, naturally."
"You'll drive me **personally**?" The girl's eyes widened in astonishment. Aristocrats accustomed to traveling by carriage invariably hired coachmen—and the same principle applied to those who traveled by automobile. It would never occur to most nobles to operate the vehicle themselves.
However, Alexio **enjoyed** driving.
"It's exhilarating to control the speed. If you wish, I can teach you sometime—it's not nearly as difficult as it appears."
"It sounds thrilling, but... a little frightening." Adelina couldn't imagine herself commanding this enormous construction of iron and glass. Even the fact that the machine moved so effortlessly seemed like **sorcery**.
Observing the distrust with which his wife regarded the automobile, the Duke laughed softly and nodded.
"Inform me if you change your mind. I'll serve as your driver today." After this gentle hint that it was time to depart, Adelina carefully settled into the passenger seat. Whereas in a carriage she could observe her surroundings only through side windows, now she possessed an unobstructed view ahead—a novelty that delighted her.
Alexio watched his wife examine the car's interior with evident curiosity for a moment before climbing behind the wheel himself. The engine's rumble signaled the beginning of their journey, and her shoulders tensed instinctively. Meeting Adelina's wide-eyed gaze in the rearview mirror, the Duke clicked his tongue softly.
"What am I to do? It seems you don't trust your husband's driving abilities."
"It's not that I doubt **you**—it's simply that I'm unaccustomed to automobiles."
"Once you grow familiar with them, you'll realize they're far more comfortable than carriages. Moreover, we'll reach our destination much faster."
Adelina's eyes sparkled at these words.
"Where are we going today?"
"If there's any particular place you'd like to visit, please let me know." Alexio replied easily, though he already possessed a carefully prepared itinerary. Still, he remained willing to alter it should Adelina express a specific desire.
The girl, however, couldn't immediately answer this seemingly simple question. She had never wandered freely about the capital and possessed no knowledge of where one might go to pass a pleasant afternoon. But she **did** harbor one particular wish.
"I would like to attend the theater."
"The theater?"
"Yes." Adelina nodded, her cheeks coloring slightly with embarrassment. "I love reading, and Sophie often procured playbooks for me. Reading them repeatedly, I would imagine what they might look like performed on stage."
_But even so... the theater?_
Prince Arthur, being exceptionally strict with his daughter, would never have permitted her to attend theatrical performances—considering them primarily entertainment for **commoners**. For aristocrats, attending the opera or ballet was considered natural and appropriate. Although such rigid boundaries had begun blurring in recent years, prejudices remained surprisingly robust.
"Of course, if you'd rather not—"
"No." Alexio immediately interrupted his wife's anxious backtracking. "I enjoy the theater as well."
"Truly?" Though she'd already received the answer she'd hoped for, the girl blinked in surprise. "I thought you might refuse."
"Why would I?"
"Well, I imagined you might say something like: 'Why waste precious time on frivolous performances when it could be spent more productively reviewing documents?'"
Adelina shrugged, deliberately mimicking her husband's characteristic cadence. Despite a certain exaggeration, she managed to capture his distinctive mannerisms with startling accuracy. The Duke's mouth fell slightly open. The princess had imitated him remarkably well—but what surprised him most was how precisely she had intuited his **actual** attitude toward theater.
"Oh, if you truly don't want to attend, then—" Observing Alexio staring at her in silence, the girl cleared her throat with evident embarrassment and turned her head sharply toward the window, pressing her forehead against the glass as though she might push straight through it. Her ears turned crimson.
Suppressing his laughter, the Duke released the brake pedal.
"To reach the theater, we'll need to travel into the capital proper."
The automobile moved forward smoothly. The couple's first date had officially begun.
---
"Your Graces—Duke and Duchess—we are profoundly honored that you have chosen to visit our humble theater."
The theater owner, utterly taken aback by these unexpected guests, had broken into visible perspiration. Observing him dab frantically at his brow with a handkerchief, Adelina regarded him with genuine sympathy.
"I apologize. I didn't intend for our visit to cause you such distress."
"What are you saying? What distress?!" The theater owner recoiled in amazement upon hearing the princess's apology. Although he had been momentarily startled by their unannounced arrival, it presented absolutely **no** inconvenience whatsoever. On the contrary—the Duke and Duchess of Pembroke gracing his establishment was an **incredible** stroke of fortune.
_It's like winning the lottery while napping in your own office!_
The man could barely contain the jubilant smile threatening to split his face.